


in place of silence

by aecusfalcon



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Almost Directly After TPM, Anakin's just Baby, Comfort, Gen, Night Terrors, Obi dad Kenobi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:40:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25201042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aecusfalcon/pseuds/aecusfalcon
Summary: “Master, I had a bad dream.”Anakin didn’t need to tell him that for him to guess as much. His fear flows off of him in waves in the force, and there’s tears on the boy’s cheeks.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 1
Kudos: 91





	in place of silence

Night time in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant is as loud as it is during the day. Which, granted, isn’t very loud when they have silencing technology in each room to block out the sound of traffic. But it still has its own unique sounds that Obi-Wan is accustomed to enough that he sleeps through. So that is what he’s doing. Sleeping. (Something rare these days so soon after Qui-Gon’s death. After he killed that Sith. Sometimes he can still feel himself cutting through flesh.)

Well, he _would_ be sleeping if he wasn’t shaken awake by a young, very scared little boy.

Obi-Wan blinked, pulling himself to awakeness that comes swiftly to a Jedi. His throat still feels raw and his limbs are still heavy with sleep but his mind is sharp as ever as he quickly registers who it is that unceremoniously woke him in the dead of night. 

_Anakin._

He thinks if it was anyone else he would be _very_ annoyed that one of his far and few between good rests was interrupted. Obi-Wan is thankful for his forethought on leaving his door unlocked tonight.

“Master, I had a bad dream.”

Anakin didn’t need to tell him that for him to guess as much. His fear flows off of him in waves in the force, and there’s tears on the boy’s cheeks.

Obi-Wan vaguely feels this is beyond his depth of understanding. So freshly a knight, and to some extent an adult. In truth he’s still unsure if he was ready for a Padawan so soon. _You’ll never be ready if you don’t take a leap of faith._

He sits up, pulling his blankets aside. The typical procedure for a Jedi to help their Padawan after a nightmare is to have them meditate, and use the force to calm their mind through the connection between Master and Padawan. But Anakin is not a typical Padawan, and he’s starting to suspect he is not a typical Jedi. Anakin was raised with the care and love of a mother, who more than likely held him when he had nightmares.

It’s a simple decision, really. He scoots over, closer to the wall his bed is pushed up against, then pats the empty spot. “You can sleep here tonight.”

Anakin nods quietly and crawls into bed. He curls into a fetal position and Obi-Wan’s heart receives a hairline fracture at the image. He’s so small, and he’s scared. He briefly wonders if Anakin sleeps like this — curled in on himself — every night. He wouldn’t be surprised if that’s true.

“Do you want to tell me what it was you dreamt?” He asks in the gentlest tone he can manage.

The boy seems to start shaking his head no, before he reluctantly nods. “Someone took me away from the Temple. They were wearing a scary hood and looked really evil.”

Ah. Yes, he can see how that can be particularly jarring. He rubs Anakin’s back, slowly, using the force with his touch to tell him to _relax_. “The Temple is the safest place in the Galaxy.”

“But the Sith—”

“Is dead, I made sure of it. It’s not going to come back for you.”

“What if there’s more?”

Yes, what _if_ there’s more? It’s a thought he didn’t particularly like entertaining, but it’s one he’s had ever since his full debriefing with the Council. They didn’t say much to him about it, in fact they mostly sat in silence with contemplative looks on their faces as Obi-Wan felt like he was being judged for every single action Qui-Gon made. _Is that how you felt, Master?_ “I won’t let them take you.”

“You have to promise.”

“Jedi promise, not one easily made.”

Satisfied with this, Anakin nods and slowly fades into the sleeping world.

Anakin looks so fragile like this— curled up, face still. He can only hope he’s dreaming better dreams now. Dreaming of a galaxy he will someday get to explore. Of victories and companions and knowledge. (That’s what _he_ used to dream of at his age, after all.)

Obi-Wan doesn’t know how he’s going to do this, truthfully. He didn’t even think he would _get_ a Padawan, not until much later in his life when he was more confident with both his skills and his place within the Order.

He may end up asking for a larger room, one that Anakin can sleep in too. He suspects this is only the first of many nights of Anakin waking in the middle of the night seeking comfort after a nightmare. He suspects this is only the first of many times where he will ignore certain rules for Anakin’s sake.

But that is something for tomorrow. 

Tonight, he quietly hums an old lullaby that is from a forgotten memory in place of silence.

**Author's Note:**

> im. soft. also obi wan is uhhh dad shaped. those first few years mustve been rough huh


End file.
